


I'm Not Feeling this "Soulmate" Thing

by ich_bin_ein_stern



Series: Prompts w/Tony Stark [14]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Another Soulmate!AU, It's fun stuff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-03 15:16:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8718808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ich_bin_ein_stern/pseuds/ich_bin_ein_stern
Summary: Prompt: Winteriron: "But, but you're my soulmate."





	

Tony never liked to think about soulmates. Sure, it’s nice to think that there’s someone out there who ~completes you~, if you’re into that sort of thing, but for Tony, he just doesn’t care.

Soulmates were restricting. The idea that you can’t be with someone, even if you love them, because you aren’t their soulmate is ridiculous. Knowing that even if you start a relationship with someone who isn’t your soulmate they end up leaving, or you.

The thing is…it starts with a name. Your soulmates name. It can be anywhere on your body. For Rhodey, it’s on his ankle. For Pepper, her lower back. For Tony, it’s written about his heart.

_James Buchanan Barnes_ in semi-thick elegant cursive. And Tony used to joke about it to Rhodey and Pepper, about having a soulmate that’s dead. 

Because the other part about having a soulmate is the color of their name. Red for living and black for death. Except for Tony, who just _had_ to different. The color of his soulmates name is silver, metallic looking. 

And he did research, of course, about soulmate names being written is colors other than red or black, but nothing has popped up. He is the odd man out. Because, logically thinking, even if his soulmate was alive, he’d be old. So clearly his soulmate was dead.

And he lived his life not caring, no restrictions, one night stands were nice. He didn’t dwell on it…

Until Steve informs him that the Winter Soldier was, indeed, the well-known (supposedly deceased) James Buchanan Barnes aka Steve’s precious “Bucky.” 

And then things sort of went downhill from there. When Barnes was finally tracked down to a town in Italy, Steve goes and retrieves him, brings him back, brings him to the tower, and all is well, right?

Wrong.

Tony recognizes the pull of a soulmate bond. Or, at least he thinks he does. It’s similar to how Rhodey described it. 

“You see them and you feel this pull in your stomach and you want to be near them, Tony. It’s a strange feeling, but you’ll…just know.” 

The thing is, he knows Barnes recognizes the pull. The moment their eyes meet when Steve brings him to the tower and he looks at Tony, his eyes widen. He knows.

But he doesn’t say anything. And neither does Tony.

But the pull remains there.

And the thing is, further away they are, the stronger the pull feels. He tells this to Rhodey, tells him he doesn’t like it, doesn’t like the soulmate thing. And it’s not like Barnes isn’t attractive. After he cleaned up, shaved, and put on better clothing, Tony was the first to admit (to Natasha in private) that Barnes looked handsome.

But just because he looked handsome doesn’t mean Tony is ready to hop on board with the whole soulmate thing.

“You can’t keep avoiding him,” Natasha says one evening. 

Tony was sitting in the living, TV on some random channel, and going through through schematics of an old suit. Even he gets bored sometimes.

“I never wanted a soulmate,” Tony replies simply. “And I’m not avoiding him. I’ve been out of my workshop more in the past two weeks than before.”

When he doesn’t get a reply, he looks up to see Natasha stare at him blankly.

“Look,” Tony starts. “I don’t like the idea of soulmates, okay? I don’t like the idea of thinking there’s someone out there who completes me, who-who is my ~other half~. I’m not a half. I don’t need anyone to complete me. I lived most of my life not allowing myself to be limited by the notion of soulmates and I will continue to do so.”

Natasha says nothing. She gets up and leaves without saying a word. Tony shrugs. He doesn’t care if people don’t agree with him. He has not, and probably never will, get behind the whole soulmates thing.

———-

He’s cornered by Steve a few days later. Tony is enjoying a cup of coffee in the kitchen when Steve comes in and sits across from him.

“Please, talk to him,” Steve says. 

Tony merely raises an eyebrow. “Talk to him about what, Steve?”

“Anything. The news. A TV show. The weather!”

Tony snorts. “You want me to talk to Barnes about the weather?”

Steve’s shoulders slump a little and Tony almost, almost, feels guilty about it. It’s not like he’s pushing Barnes away. He can come talk to Tony. 

“Look, Steve, if this is about Barnes and I being soulmates, then I’m sorry, but I have not, and probably never will, like or accept the concept of soulmates.”

Steve looks shocked, but then his face falls blank.

“You don’t like the idea of soulmates?” he deadpans.

Tony takes a sip of coffee, hums, and replies, “No.”

And Steve just looks at him and then Tony sees pity in his eyes and that annoys him.

“Why do you even care?” Tony snaps. “Other than the fact that your bff is somewhere in the tower and being in possible hearing distance.”

“I care about Bucky, and you. He has your name written over his heart in silver writing, Tony. I didn’t even know your name was there - ”

“How is my name even on him? I was born decades after him,” then Tony pauses. “My name is in silver?”

“Yes,” Steve breathes out. “And I don’t know why your name is on him despite the decades in-between, but I do know that he wants to talk to you.”

“Like I told Natasha, I’m not hiding from him, Steve.”

“He doesn’t know how to approach you, Tony. He doesn’t want to get off on the wrong foot.”

_Like we did_ , Tony hears.

Tony gets up, “I’m not stopping him from talking to me, Steve. And I’m not avoiding him either. My workshop is usually open to all of you.”

And he leaves the kitchen.

———-

When Bucky does come to see Tony, it’s when Tony is having a very bad night. He’s tried. Annoyed. And kind of snappish.

“What do you want?” Tony bites out even though he doesn’t look up from his work so he doesn’t know who just entered his workshop.

“Steve…said I can come see you,” and that’s Barnes.

Tony’s head snaps up and he’s a bit surprised to Barnes in his workshop at 2am. Tony sighs and tosses his wrench to the side, not caring that it causes a loud bang. His workshop is sound proof anyways.

“What can I do for you?” Tony asks. It comes out annoyed. 

“We’re soulmates.”

“That we are.” Tony looks away 

“You…don’t want to talk about it? About us?”

“There’s no _us_ , Barnes.”

“But-but we’re soulmates.”

Tony looks back up and sees Barnes with an unreadable expression, not necessarily angry or upset, more concerned? Confused?

“Look, like I told Steve and Natasha, I don’t do the whole soulmate thing. I don’t like the concept of soulmates.”

“Okay.”

Tony blinks.

“Just like that?”

Barnes shrugs. “I’m not going to force you into anything. We don’t know each other. And, I’m not too keen on the soulmate thing either. It’s restricting.”

“I could kiss you just for saying that,” Tony says immediately, a little pleased with himself when Barnes cracks a smile. “I mean, that’s how I feel about it.”

“I would, however, like to get to know you,” Barnes says. “I don’t like open spaces a lot or being around a lot of people, but I do want to get to know you.”

Tony looks him up and down and smirks. “Well, you are kinda’ cute.”

Barnes smirks and thrusts out his hand. “Bucky. Nice to meet ya’, soulmate.”

Tony walks over and takes it. “Tony. Likewise, soulmate.”

They can go from there and who knows…maybe there’ll be a little romance in their future.

~The End~

**Author's Note:**

> This work can be originally found on my tumblr - [click here](http://i-ship-tonystark-with-happiness.tumblr.com/post/147427437357/winteriron-but-but-youre-my-soulmate)
> 
> Thank you for reading! ^_^


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